The government started to reveal details of how it intends to divide the provision of front-line services between local municipalities and the central administration.

András Tállai, the interior ministry’s state secretary for local government affairs announced that pre-school would remain the responsibility of the municipalities while schools would be administered by the central government.

Basic health care will stay in the hands of municipalities while outpatient provision will also remain within their scope unless outpatient services are integrated with a state-run hospital, András Tallái told at a news conference.

Further development of towns and villages and their operational upkeep, as well as cultural services, will also be included in the remit of local governments, he said.

Child care will be the responsibility of the state while services for the elderly will be seen to by municipalities.

Every local community has the right to a local government, no matter their size, Tállai said. He added, however, that joint local authority offices would be set up within larger administrative units. A change is expected in future in the composition of county authorities in charge of regional development, so as to include mayors the seats of the larger administrative units, he said.